Dhyan chand - The Greatest Sportsman India has ever produced

[Vivasaayi]

what Brad man is to cricket

is dhyan chand to hockey!.

* 29 August, Dhyan chands birthday is celebrated as the National Sports Day in India. The President gives away sport-related awards such as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award and Dronacharya Award on this day at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

*Don Bradman remarked "He scores goals like runs in Cricket".

*Adolf Hitler supposedly offered to make Dhyan Chand a Field Marshal in the German army, but the latter refused.[1] Chand scored 59 of India's 175 goals in the pre-Olympic matches and 11 of 38 in the Olympics.

(till now only two indians have achieved the rank of field marshall- general kariappa and manaksha).


he was a magician more than a hockey player.

THE GREATEST HOCKEY PLAYER EVER

[Vivasaayi]

After India played its first match in the 1936 Olympics, Dhyan Chand's magical stickwork drew crowds from other venues to the hockey field.

A German newspaper carried a banner headline: 'The Olympic complex now has a magic show too.' The next day, there were posters all over Berlin: 'Visit the hockey stadium to watch the Indian magician Dhyan Chand in action.'

[Vivasaayi]

Dhyan Chand was the unanimous choice to lead India on a tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1935. India played 48 matches -- including three Tests against New Zealand -- and won all of them. Of the 584 goals the visitors scored, Dhyan Chand's personal tally was 200. Don Bradman was so surprised by the number of goals that he quipped: 'Were they made by a hockey player or a batsman?'

[wrap07]

It is great to know the above information.
Hockey has ceased to be the national sport long back and a sport where we had dominated is in sad state now.

[ajithfederer]

http://www.hindu.com/2008/11/20/stor...2056922200.htm

Book on Dhyan Chand

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: For the first time, a book highlighting the life and times of hockey wizard Major Dhyan Chand is out.

Written by Dhyan Chand’s daughter-in-law Dr. Meena Umesh Dhyan Chand, the 135-page book in Hindi was released by the Union Sports Minister M.S. Gill in the presence of several former players, including Dhyan Chand’s son Olympian Ashok Kumar, and hockey lovers at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground here on Wednesday.

Dr. Meena, who hails from Jhansi, said she had been toying with the idea of writing the book since her marriage in 1985. “A lot has been written about Major Saab’s skills as a hockey player but I wanted to bring forth the other facets of his personality,” she said about the book titled “Hockey ke Jaadugar Major Dhyan Chand,” priced at Rs. 125.
One of a kind

Mr. Gill lauded the contribution of Dhyan Chand but lamented the poor state of Indian sports in general and hockey, in particular.

“He was one of a kind. He was the first, true ‘khiladi’ (sportsperson) from India. However, it is pity that he did not get the attention he deserved in independent India till he died in 1979. These days, cricket is our hobby but for long, hockey remains close to our hearts,” he said.

He agreed with the author’s suggestion that the National Sports Day on August 29, Dhyan Chand’s birth anniversary, should be publicised more and celebrated like other “National Days.” He said, “I shall certainly try to do more to make people aware about the importance of sports in our country.”

“Only cricket offers good money but there is not much in other disciplines,” he said.

Interestingly, Mr. Gill was categorical in declaring that the sports policy is “made by officials of the ministry and not by the Minister. Some of them, like the one pertaining to monthly pensions for medal winners in the Olympic Games are completely absurd. Usually, even the Minister who gets the sports portfolio, is not really interested in the ministry.”

He went on to say, “I have a remark to make on our education system. The whole focus in our schools and colleges is on securing 99.9 per cent marks. Do we even have one period for sports each day in our schools and colleges? Many schools are without a playground. How do we expect our young talents to do well without proper facilities and encouragement? I don’t mind saying that in India, our children have no childhood. What is childhood without time for play?” he asked.